Anti-Abortion Sticker Found in Biology Textbook in Public School District

Suzanne Young found the sticker in her son's textbook in Gilbert, Arizona.

ByABC News
August 21, 2015, 5:08 PM

— -- Suzanne Young, an author of young adult fiction and a former teacher in Gilbert, Arizona, said she was shocked when her 14-year-old son came home with an anti-abortion sticker inside his textbook.

Young's son attends a public school within the Gilbert Public School District. She said her son came home from school and told her all students using the biology textbook "Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections" had to have the sticker in the book.

"We're very open with talking about these sorts of things in our family, so he came home and said to me, 'You're gonna want to see this,'" Young said told ABC News.

The sticker in the textbook reads:

"The Gilbert Public School District supports the state of Arizona's strong interest in promoting childbirth and adoption over elective abortion. The District is also in support of promoting abstinence as the most effective way to eliminate the potential for unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. If you have questions concerning sexual intercourse, contraceptives, pregnancy, adoption, or abortion, we encourage you to speak with your parents."

Young decided to post a picture of the sticker on Twitter, where it was re-tweeted over 1,000 times in a matter of a few days.

"The sticker doesn't belong on the insider cover of a biology textbook," Young said. "I don't think you can put that on the front of an informational textbook because it's not relevant. It's not a fact, it's an opinion."

A 3-year-old Arizona law requires public school programs to "present childbirth and adoption options to elective abortion," according to The Arizona State Legislature.

The board voted to tear out pages of the biology textbook that discussed contraception and abortion over concerns it violated the state law, according to local ABC affiliate ABC 15. Later, the board made the decision to leave the pages and add supplemental information, which is where the sticker comes into play, the newspaper reported.

The school district's superintendent, Christina M. Kishimoto, said in a statement to ABC News today that she "worked closely with the [school district's] Governing Board to provide a solution to last year's matter regarding the District's biology books."

"The board and I have full confidence in our teachers and because we trust the way our teachers instruct, we agreed that the stickers on the back cover are the best course of action. We are pleased with the collaboration and completion of this matter," Kishimoto added.

But Young doesn't necessarily think this is the right approach. Young said her son agrees and doesn't see how the sticker is beneficial to him and his fellow classmates.

"He said to me, 'They know that eventually we're all going to have sex right? So why not tell us about it?'" Young said, noting that she's most concerned the school district is forcing its opinion on students before giving them the facts.

"There isn't a place for that sticker in a public school," Young said. "I'm a former teacher and I never went in and interfered with children's learning to support a position."